Calluna Events combines unique, creative and fresh ideas with amazing organizational skills and an exceptional attention to detail to create your perfect wedding or event. We’ve established an extensive network of venues and professional vendors to fit every style and budget. We offer innovative full service planning, wedding day coordination & hourly consulting.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

A friend of mine recently emailed and asked for help finding a bridesmaids dress for her sisters wedding. She is looking for a 1950's style dress, in pink that is inexpensive, that they can wear again. I set out to find some options that she could buy off the rack, not break the bank and still wear again. Here are some fun, stylish and chic dresses I found.

You probably know that JCrew is doing wedding now. In addition to wedding dresses they now have some very stylish bridesmaids options. I'm loving the colors!

I love that Bluefly now has a dedicated wedding site. It's super cute, you can click on 'I'm in It!" or "I'm invited" and go to styles devoted to whether you are in the wedding or a guest at the wedding. You can also search by wedding type such as "The Garden Party Wedding" and "The Little Bitty Dress Wedding".

Of course there's always THREAD with their flirty colors and sweet silhouettes. You can find any style for your bridesmaids. And of course they do wedding dresses too!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Take a look at all the best dressed from the Oscars last night and you'll find a common theme....dresses that look like what you might find a bride donning on her big day! Sarah Jessica Parker, Penelope Cruz, Jennifer Aniston, Marisa Tomei, and Miley Cyrus all wore some version of white, sparkly and luxurious. Besides the white, opulent, “frothy” look of many of the dresses, Natalie Portman swept the red carpet wearing a pink stunner. And as usual, Angelina Jolie looked super chic in a stunning basic black number but wowed us with her gorgeous emerald earrings!

What else did we see in last nights best dressed and how can you incorporate this into your wedding day fashion (wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses): Think strapless, simple, metallic, old world, vintage, old Hollywood, classic, timeless, not a lot of color, large and amazing accessories (especially necklaces).

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

A Calluna Events couple, Anna & Sam, have their August 30th wedding featured in the Little Black Book Blog on Style Me Pretty today! The gorgeous feature shows their stunning rustic elegant mountain wedding which took place last summer at Beano's Cabin on Beaver Creek Mountain. We are so excited to have one of our brides on Style Me Pretty. Photography was taken by Jamee Photography and the flowers were provided by Denver based florist, Bella Fiori.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Last week we continued our site visits of Colorado wedding venues and drove up to Estes Park for the day. Our first stop was at the Lost Antler Ranch, a private ranch located on 165 acres in a spectacular valley surrounded by Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt National Forest on all sides. The Ranch is about 10 minutes outside of Estes Park and is a private intimate location for a wedding reception. They have lodging on site and can accommodate up to 48 guests in four separate cabins. For more information contact Calluna Events or see their website here.

We continued on to The Stanley Hotel. Calluna Events has coordinated a few weddings at the Stanley over the years but recently there has been some change over in the Catering & Sales Department and we wanted to go re-introduce ourselves and the wedding planning services of Calluna Events. Most people who live in Colorado or who have visited Estes Park know about the old-world charm and history of the Stanley Hotel. The hotel was built in 1909 and is a Historical Hotel of America as named by the National Trust for Historical Preservation. The Stanley is a grand and unique location for your wedding. There are several rooms, including the majestic MacGreggor Ballroom for wedding receptions. Click here for more information on weddings at the Stanley Hotel.

wedding site at Lost Antler Ranch

Our next stop was Della Terra Mountain Chateau. Della Terra is currently being built and is scheduled to open in March 2009. It is located above Estes Park at the Fall River entrance to the Rocky Mountain National Park. The Chateau rests at the top of the wooded acreage, surrounded by untouched nature.

The owners of Della Terra, Pam & Sandy, are really lovely. As a wedding planner (and a bride) it makes all the difference when your venue contact is wonderful to work with! Della Terra will be hosting weddings this summer and is already accepting reservations for this year and next. Space is filling up quickly at this incredible mountain destination!

What is Style Me Pretty you ask? Here's some information straight from the SMP website.

Style Me Pretty is really all about wedding inspiration. It’s about helping brides to design their own unique and personal wedding style. Whether they are inspired by a particular color palette, a beautiful reception venue or even by something as simple as piece of jewelry…Style Me Pretty is about translation your inspirations into a cohesive look and style for your own wedding.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Sharon & Craig met in graduate school and then worked together at Solaris, an architecture and development firm in Vail. Sharon is an architect has an impeccable style and taste. She chose the Larkspur Restaurant in Vail for the setting for her wedding because of its décor and chic, simple aesthetic. The Larkspur, located at the base of Vail Mountain in the Golden Peak Lodge, is lovely and inviting. The décor is stylish, modern and minimalistic and the open kitchen gives off a feeling of welcome and intimacy. The food and service are award winning and first class.

Sharon & Craig held their ceremony outside of the restaurant in a grassy knoll with views of the Gore Range. Their ceremony combined Christian and Jewish traditions. Sharon was raised Christian and Craig was raised Jewish. They were married under a huppah by a rabbi but incorporated prayers and Christian blessings in the ceremony and throughout the reception.

After the ceremony the guests moved to the mountainside patio which looks out to Vail Mountain. A smaller ensemble from Dressed in Black played during the cocktail hour as guests mingled and enjoyed the crisp fall weather and mountain setting. Guests moved into the dining room for the dinner portion of the reception and shared an amazing meal, compliments of the Larkspur. The food, wine and service are delightful at the Larkspur and guests thoroughly enjoyed the meal!

After dinner guests moved into the Great Room where Dressed in Black got the party started. After some time on the dance floor, cookies and shots of milk were served to guests as a pick me up. To end the evening, Calluna Events helped coordinate a sparkler send off for the newlyweds!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

We were fortunate to have a January wedding this year. In the midst of all the cold and snowy weather this past week we had a beacon of light. Kristen was such a dear and a wonderful bride to work with! We loved helping her pull her vision together and create the wedding of their dreams.

We were able to work with many of our favorite vendors this past weekend at Kristin & Nicks wedding at the St. Julien Hotel & Spa in Boulder. The ceremony was an intimate gathering of only sixteen family members. It was held outdoors (burr!) under the gazebo and was performed by Joel Davis.

The stunning bride sees the groom for the first time. And Regina Mountjoy from Recherche Photography was there to document it all!

Kristin and her Dad share a special moment before they walk down the aisle! Kristin wore a stunning Vera Wang dress that made her look like a princess from a fairytale!

The cake was an amazing foisbois creation designed by Kim Boos of Tee & Cakes.

Kristen wanted the feel of the wedding decor to be "Chronicles of Narnia - after the thaw" so Kristina from The European Flower Shop designed lush centerpieces of deep burgundy's, plums, dark greens with accents of ferns and mosses.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Last night, as millions of people around the country were watching the super bowl, I too was at a super bowl party. I was quite bored with the game during the first quarter so I decided to catch up on my celebrity gossip by reading US Weekly. Don't get me wrong, I like football and even grew up watching it with my Dad. I know the game and usually can get into a bit, but the first half wasn't too inspiring. So the cover of US Weekly with Fergie & Josh's Wedding Album was calling my name.

As a wedding planner I enjoy reading up on the celebrity gossip and what's new in the world of weddings as reported by the smut kings. Through US Weekly I learned that Fergie & Josh's wedding had an an unofficial theme of "down-to-earth fun". What exactly is down to earth fun for celebs you ask? Looks like guests being treated to pink lemonade, beer served from a keg in frosted beer mugs and handing out fishing poles to guests (their location was by a lake).

Other trends at their wedding:

Their favors were rubber bracelets with the words A PERFECT PAIR inscribed.

$25,000 in flowers consisting of gardenias, roses and the like

Weddings songs like Crazy by Gnarls Barkley, Tiny Dancer by Elton John, Mercy by Duffy, Low by Flo Ridda, Umbrella by Rihanna, I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry, Billie Jean by Michael Jackson, Flashing Lights by Kanye West and My Humps by The Black Eyed Peas.

Fergie wore two dresses

she had a 150 lb cake that required 4 people to carry

By the second quarter, with 7:33 minutes left the game picked up and I had to put down the magazine. We all know what happened and the final minutes of the game were super exciting to watch! I'm glad I was able to participate in one of the country's fun traditions and do some Calluna Events "work" at the same time.